When managing computer devices for processing data, such as personal computers and server systems, in accordance with programs, software mounted in the computer devices may be updated. In this case, for example, optimum software may be selected from a plurality of pieces of software based on vendor information and an administrator's experiences.
However, when selecting the optimum software from the plurality of pieces of software, it is necessary to consider dependency between currently mounted software and new software and dependency between hardware and new software. So, sometimes great amounts of time and cost are spent for verification to select the optimum software.
Accordingly, a software update assisting device is suggested wherein the software update assisting device judges whether or not a combination of versions of software already installed at a personal computer is a combination of guaranteed version information, when updating the software; and if it is the combination of the guaranteed version information, the software update assisting device judges whether it is a latest software combination or not; and if it not the combination of the guaranteed version information, the software update assisting device downloads necessary software from a management server and updates the software so that the software combination will become a combination of the version information whose operations are guaranteed (see Patent Literature 1).
If this device is used when updating software, it is possible to update the existing software so that a combination of the software, which is already incorporated into the device, and new software becomes optimum.